Prince of Darkness (Hugh Corbett Mysteries 05) [Paperback]

P C Doherty (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hugh Corbett Mysteries 05 | Publication Date: November 12, 1992

It is 1301 and a fragile peace exists between Edward of England and Philip IV of France. In the fetid alleys and slums of London and Paris it is a different matter. Here the secret agents of both countries still fight their own, silent, deadly battles. The Prince of Wales wallows in luxury under the sinister influence of his favourite, Gaveston, who has secret political ambitions to dominate the young prince and the English crown. These scandals are threatened with exposure when Lady Belmont, the prince's former mistress, is found dead, her neck broken, at the foot of a nunnery's steps. Was it suicide? An accident? Or malicious murder? Edward turns to his master spy, Hugh Corbett, to solve the mystery. In doing so, Corbett must face the deadly rivalry of his French counterpart, the murderous rage of Gaveston and the silent threats of assassins. He must also contend with the lies and silken deceits of his own master.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the summer of 1300, the body of Eleanor Belmont is found lifeless in the Oxfordshire nunnery to which she was confined after her lover, the Prince of Wales, was officially betrothed to the French king's daughter. Fearful that the peace between England and France may be compromised by rumors that Eleanor's death was the work of the prince and/or his ruthless, ambitious male lover, King Edward I of England sends his clerk Hugh Corbett to investigate. Corbett, a spoiler of court intrigues in Angel of Death and three previous medieval mysteries, here must solve a second murder in a plot so murky that at several points he carefully itemizes developments for the undoubtedly grateful reader. Nonetheless this is a fascinating and successful historical novel: Doherty seldom belabors the setting, choosing instead to let time and place gently wash over his audience as he offers subtle observations. The presence of a few too many villains leads to a cluttered conclusion, but Doherty brings a sense of humanity to all his characters, particularly the appealing Corbett: a loyal servant, a devoted husband (in the face of a surprisingly alluring lady in a habit) and an astute detective.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough. He studied History at Liverpool and Oxford Universities and obtained a doctorate for his thesis on Edward II and Queen Isabella. He is now headmaster of a school in north-east London and lives with his family in Essex.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (November 12, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747238669
• ISBN-13: 978-0747238669
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.4 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,689,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder in the Middle Ages, August 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Prince of Darkness (Ulverscroft Large Print Series) (Hardcover)

Fans who have exhausted the chronicles of Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael but but are hungry for more medieval murder, mystery and mahem should do themselves a favor and pick up a copy P.C. Dogherty's The Prince of Darkness.

Based on the legendary conflict between England's King Edward and his profligate son Philip, The Prince of Darkness sweeps you back to the 1300's where royal mistresses languish imprisoned in convents; royal clerks are royal spies, benign substances turn deadly, and political, sexual and religious intrigue lurks around every treacherous, torch-lit corner.

When The Prince of Wales' rejected, convent-bound mistress is found dead at the bottom of the priory stairs, Lady Amelia is ready to write it off as an accident. King Edward, however, has other ideas; and when dark rumors start to spread, hinting that either the Prince of Wales' new, male lover, the Warlock Gaveston-or even the Prince himself, may have murdered Lady Eleanor, he despatches his most trusted clerk, Hugh Courbett to uncover the truth.

What transpires is a wild ride through an age of poisoners, hell-hounds, sinister assassins and dissolute nobility. As the body count mounts, Courbett discovers that there is far more than an Anglo/French alliance resting on the outcome of his increasingly hazardous investigation.

P.C. Douherty has a clear, expedient style that manages to convey the day to day realities of medieval life without dawdling on unnecessary detail. Dougherty sets the pace, and then accelerates, interweaving believable characters and an intriguing, historically accurate plot in this entertaining, engaging and exciting thriller.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More of a murder mystery this time., March 14, 2005

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prince Of Darkness (Paperback)

I like P.C. Doherty's Hugh Corbett series. In these books he deals with actual historical happenings, and Hugh Corbett, acting as the King's master spy is always sent to deal with hot "political potatoes". In this book he is again sent to try to get to the bottom of the murder of his son's former mistress, but when Hugh and Ranulf arrive they find a hotbed of rumour and speculation in a nunnery. Hugh walks the tightrope between satisfying his king and his eternal quest for the truth. This is an excellent medieval series based on true historical occurences.